Job market recovery for graduates? Not so much.

A job-market recovery finally may be underway by the time this year’s crop of college graduates collect their diplomas in May and June. However, a new survey by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. indicates that the job prospects for these grads are about the same or only slightly better than last year’s dismal outlook.

Continued weakness in the entry-level job market could force many newly-minted graduates to accept lower-paying service sector positions or forsake income entirely by volunteering or accepting unpaid internships. Others may abandon the job search, opting to further their education, live at home or travel.

In the Challenger survey, about half of the human resource executives polled said the outlook for this year’s college graduates is roughly the same as last year. Twenty-eight percent of respondents were marginally more optimistic, saying that the outlook is slightly better than a year ago.

The Challenger survey was released on the same day that the Chronicle published a story suggesting an improved market for entry-level job seekers — but only in comparison to a far more dismal 2009.